Questions Remain on How to Resolve the Border Situation

Both Congress and the President are weighing in on different ways to resolve the ongoing situation involving unaccompanied minors attempting to enter the US illegally. According to the Wall Street Journal, some House Republicans have discussed a proposal that would repeal the 2008 law signed by President Bush that guarantees unaccompanied minors aprehended in the US an asylum hearing as long as they came from a country that does not share a border with the United States. Several Democrats as well as immigration rights activist oppose this plan. Opponents point out that this law was created to protect children from human trafficking, which has become a large problem in many Central American countries.

The President proposed last week a change to that 2008 law that would allow the Secretary of Homeland Security to wave the requirement for an asylum hearing but would not eliminate the requirement all together. This would speed up the deportation process for many of the children aprehended but still leave the possibility for an asylum hearing if deemed necessary. Even the President’s proposal is being opposed by some Democrats and immigration rights activists who say that the process should remain the same but should be made more efficient. The President has also requested an addition $3.7 billion for resources to handle the situation along the border. The President also continues to use this situation to hammer Republicans, especially in the House of Representatives, for not passing comprehensive immigration reform this year.

Stay tuned to this blog for further developments regarding this story.